Imagine an online e commerce platform that is more valuable than Facebook and combines all the benefits of E Bay and Amazon, while giving us products more than both the platforms combined. Yes. You guessed right. The platform in question here is Alibaba, one of the largest e commerce platforms not just in China, but the whole world.

While so much is known about Alibaba, how much is really known about Jack Ma, the founder behind this giant? Today, we are here to give you ten facts you may not know about the brilliant founder.

 1. The time he was kidnapped

In 1995, Jack Ma was travelling to the United States for the first time business, functioning as an entrepreneur. Part of his business included trying to collect a debt for a friend from an American businessman in Malibu, California. Turns out, the businessman did not want to pay Jack Ma and instead, locked him up in his house out at gunpoint! Jack Ma barely escaped with his life intact.

2. An English teacher to an entrepreneur

Jack Ma began his career as an English teacher. In fact, when he was thirteen years old, he started learning English by waking up at 5.00 A.M. every day and travelling around on his bike to speak to foreigners. This practice helped him learn English the right way and also helped in increasing his people skills. He started his career as an English teacher!

3. When he first discovered the internet 

Jack Ma discovered the internet in the year 1995, when he laid his eyes on a computer. When he discovered the internet, it inspired him to start his business, China Yellow Pages. He started this company with 7000 yuan ($1140) and a loan from a family member.

4. The inspiration behind the name Alibaba

Jack Ma came upon the name Alibaba at a coffee shop. He asked the waitress what she thought about the name and she said it sounded like “Open Sesame.” According to Jack, this is exactly what the point of the e commerce platform was and that is how the name came to being.

5. His hero 

Did you know that Jack Ma’s real life hero is not even a real human being? It is Forest Grump! Explaining his love for the character, Jack said, “I watched the movie again, telling me that no matter whatever changed, you are you. I’m still the guy 15 years ago, you know, I only earned like $20 a month. Today I can do that much.” Now you can see why he is Jack’s hero!

6. The first Chinese to appear on the Forbes cover 

Did you know that while Forbes celebrates entrepreneurs and ground breaking philosophers, Jack Ma was the first Chinese entrepreneur to appear on the cover of Forbes!

7. His true love 

The man behind Alibaba has one true love and it is not the world of technology. He loves showbiz and dogs! He has a gorgeous husky named Apollo who is always by his side.

8. His parents were illegal performers 

While Jack Ma is the founder of a very legal business, his parents worked in an illegal practice. They practiced the art of “pingtan”, a Chinese tradition of musical storytelling that was banned during Mao’s Cultural Revolution from 1966 to 1976.

9. His alter ego 

Did you know that Jack Ma has an alter ego? Apart from his given name, he also goes by the name of Feng Quinyang, a legendary swordsman who is known for his aggressive, unpredictable and reclusive character. The nickname fits his business practices but not his public life. Jack Ma is no recluse.

10. His wife thinks he is ugly! 

Clearly, looks are not important for Jack Ma’s wife. She fell for the brilliantly hard working man behind the very ordinary face that is Jack Ma. Quite an adorable love story, this one!

Ma was brought up in a communist country. He saw his first computer at the age of 31 and barely graduated from University. Despite all odds, he has now become one of the most successful entrepreneurs. Jack Ma may have had many failures in his life but his tale to success is one a lot of us aspire towards. Start now and if you work hard enough, you can get to where he is without writing a single line of code in your life!